SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota’s Department of Corrections will be forced to free a man this week that they believe could still be a danger to others. The man convicted of attempted sexual contact with a child will be released with no conditions in Sioux Falls.
On Thursday, July 20th, James Hanscom will walk out of the South Dakota State Prison. Having served his 6-year, 8-month, and ten-day sentence, he will be released. Since he served his entire sentence, there is no parole. Sioux Falls police are aware, but there is little they can do.
“If a person is convicted of certain sex crimes, they may have to register as a sex offender, and so there are some restrictions about where they can live and that they have to register a couple of times throughout the year to update certain information,” said Sam Clemens with the Sioux Falls Police Department. “However, other than that, they have been adjudicated, and they’ve completed their sentence, so there is nothing we can do as police or law enforcement.”
In a release, State Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko said, “Based on his criminal history and institutional assessments that indicate a high risk to re-offend, I am alerting law enforcement and the public of this offender’s pending release from prison.”
Hanscom is 5 foot 6 inches tall and weighs around 210 pounds. He has black hair and green eyes. Police say it is important for the public to be aware of any potential threat.
“I think the openness, sharing this information helps the public to know that a person like this is out there in the community. It doesn’t necessarily mean they will re-offend and commit another crime, but the potential is there. And obviously, the Department of Corrections thought it was serious enough that they needed to notify the public,” said Clemens.
Clemens says following Hanscom or putting him under police surveillance would violate his rights. On top of that, they don’t have the manpower to follow all suspected criminals in the city. Since 2011 the South Dakota Department of Corrections says it has only issued 13 public notices pending the release of a prisoner they consider to be a high-risk offender.
